February 6th marked Mid-winter’s day and one of the best things you can do for your health to avoid winter colds and flu is to take a high quality multiple vitamin on a daily basis.

Fans of Dr. Terry Dubrow (www.drdubrow.com) of the popular “Botched” TV series about plastic surgery may not be aware that he is also involved in a line of nutritional supplements and topical products under the Consulte Health and Consulte Beaute label. (www.https://www.drdubrow.com/consult-beaute-products/).

We opted to try the Mega Vita Beaute Glo formula as our introduction to this product line-up, featuring more than 20 different vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and co-factors that safeguard good health and help retard the body’s aging process. We like the convenience of having everything available in two daily convenient easy to swallow capsules. Primo Beets, Bioactive Collagen Peptide and “EmpowHERment” for women are among some of the other Dubrow formulas, all skillfully crafted by someone experienced in the medical and nutritional field. You might think why pay a bit more for these supplements, but they are worth the investment because they are offering you the highest quality and purest ingredients, much more effective than most off-the-shelf drugstore brands do!

Most people fall into one of two camps: the get-it-done today efficient types, and the I’ll get to it whenever procrastinators. Andrew Santella (www.andrewsantella.com) has written a fascinating book called “Soon” about the history and art of procrastination, now out in paperback (www. HarperCollins.com),.

Did you know that musician Johnny Cash, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, explorer Charles Darwin and Renaissance man Leonardo da Vinci are among the most famous procrastinators in history. And author Santella makes a good case that modern society isn’t doing itself all that many favors by worshiping efficiency rather than occasional lazy day in which we delay all of our obligations.

“Soon: An Overdue History of Procrastination” by Andrew Santella — Gotta Love It!

“Big Things Have Small Beginnings” by Wes Berry (www.wesleyberry.co) is an inspiring book for anyone who runs a business or who wants to succeed in today’s competitive business environment.

Berry brings to light the oft-forgotten story of Army Lieutenant Andrew Summers Rowan, given an almost impossible mission to complete by President McKinley, first written about in a book by Elbert Hubbard called “A Message to Garcia”. A sense of personal responsibility is the key to success in any business endeavor, but one that Berry notes is extremely lacking in today’s business world which seems to be all about excuses for not getting the job done. The world needs more “Rowans” and this book offers a valuable guide to determining how well you or your employees or prospective hires measure up to Lt. Rowan. No surprise that Rowan did in fact accomplish his dangerous mission, despite all of the obstacles he encountered in the depth of the jungle.

CaliFlour Foods founder Amy Lacey (www.califlourfoods.com) has premiered a very creative cookbook that enables the home chef to transform the lowly cauliflower vegetable into 125 different gluten and grain-free recipes.

The book’s initial recipe for baking and processing fresh whole cauliflower into a versatile dough that can be used to make everything from veggie-topped pizzas to sandwiches, soups, burrito bowls and salads. Most surprising is the “Sweet Treats” chapter featuring dessert and cookie recipes that incorporate cauliflower in the form of cali’flour. Recipes are easy to follow and are accompanied by mouth-watering color photography to show you the final result!

If you need some delicious comfort foods when the snow flies and temperatures plummet – check out the line-up of Tuscanini Authentic Italian Pasta, (www.tuscanini.com), made using 100% durum wheat semolina.

We recently had the pleasure of sampling Tuscanini Gigli (pictured above), Conchiglie and Fusilli pasta and found them all to be outstanding in taste and quality. They also cook up quickly within about 10 minutes. Serve them hot with your favorite mushroom, marinara, garlic butter or basil pesto sauce, or try them chilled with veggies as a salad. Unlike most pastas on the market that tend to be dense and gummy, The Tuscanini brand is light, flavorful and delicious! Other Tuscanini products coming to a supermarket shelf near you throughout 2019 include tomato paste, pasta sauce, Balsamic Vinegar Glaze and apple cider vinegar from the picturesque mountain region of Dolomite Italy.

A sure cure for beating the post-holiday, January blues is a trip to your local flea market. In our area, one of the best is the Wind Gap Flea Market in Wind Gap, PA (www.facebook.com/windgapfleamarket), complete with free parking, its own café and plenty of stalls for a morning or afternoon of browsing.

Flea markets tend to offer a wide array of both vintage and new goods at very reasonable prices. We’ve found everything from vintage perfumes , Avon products and DVDs and CDs to books, clothing and incense, all at rock-bottom prices. If you are not sure of what flea markets are in your area, check out an online resource like http://keysfleamarket.com to locate one in your area, as well as the garage and community sale postings in your local newspaper. Vendors tend to be friendly and are usually willing to bargain over higher-priced items.

If your goal this Valentine’s Day is to bewitch, bother and bewilder a significant other who is the apple of your eye, advance order your copy now of “Romantic Cocktails” by Clair McLafferty (www.whalenbooks.com) being released January 28, 2019.

This is hands-down the best collection of cocktail recipes for romantic occasions that we have ever come across, from its inspired collection of more than 100 craft cocktail recipes, to its stunning four-color photography by Abraham Rowe Photography, and gorgeous red satin cover. From a “Good Night Kiss” and “Tremblement de Terre” (Earthquake), to “Mexican Hot Chocolate” or a “Boozy Milkshake for Two”, author McLafferty also shares fascinating tidbits of history and lore along with easy to follow directions. This collection is a must-have for romantics and makes a delicious Valentine’s Day gift!

Mushrooms are among the most versatile and healthy foods you can incorporate into your diet in 2019. But foraging for wild mushrooms without using a reliable field guide can be skirting with disaster, as many varieties look tempting but are not edible and in fact can prove poisonous.

“Appalachian Mushrooms: A Field Guide” by Walter E. Sturgeon (www.ohioswallow.com) is the comprehensive illustrated guide to hunting everything from milk mushrooms and white spored mushrooms to puff balls and coral-like fungi in wilderness areas. Sturgeon is the recognized mushroom expert for fungus growing through the Appalachian region of the United States. More than 400 species are discussed in detail, complete with beautiful color photography and most importantly, whether or not that species is edible and suitable for use in recipes.

If two of your New Year’s resolutions are to eat healthy and save money in 2019, Misfits Market (www.misfitsmarket.com) has a great deal for you.

Misfits Market is a delivery service that brings an assortment of fresh quality produce right to your door on a weekly or bi-weekly basis at savings of up to 50% what you’d pay at the supermarket. The only catch is that the fruits and vegetables don’t look perfect, without any affect to their quality and taste! But having tried our first box last week, we can guarantee that the quality and freshness is much better than recent grocery store finds and every item in our box proved to be fresh from the farm delicious! We’ve already used the contents of our Misfits Market box to create cocktails, chicken noodle soup, an avocado omelette and much more! And when you access their site using this link, http://misfitsmarket.refr.cc/deelong and use the special code MISFITSREF2019, you’ll get 30% off your first box!

Food choices often aggravate existing heath conditions or create new ones. If you are looking for an effective roadmap to changing your diet in the New Year in order to manifest optimal health, check out Change Bites by Marissa Costonis (www.ChangeBITES.com).

Author Costonis uses the same principles she employed in her career as a change management consultant to help individuals develop a personal vision for their health, create a food transition plan, and ultimately achieve a total health transformation. We especially like her easy to accomplish “10 Recipes Techniques” in Chapter 7, and the final chapter, “Beyond Food” in which she makes compelling recommendations for practicing change beyond what you are changing on your dinner plate.